The Legend of Zelda: Shadow of Majora
by Shadow of Majora
Summary: It's been seven years since Link, The Hero of Time, returned from the distant land of Termina. He now lives a normal life by humble means - his days of adventure and swordplay being long gone and now spent in the light of peace. But, all that walk in the light cast a shadow and there lies a darkness of the past that now stalks the Hero's shade.
1. Prologue

Written by Shehbaz Khan

_"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"_

**Prologue**

This is but one of the legends of which the people speak...

In the beginning, three goddesses, each with their own unique qualities, descended upon an empty void of chaos. Using their powers, they created a world of light. Din, with power, fire, and earth, gave the world shape. Order and balance was brought by Nayru, who used her wisdom and love to create the law of time. The creatures and beings that would obey the law were given breath and substance by Farore's courageous wind, and with her power over life, she filled the world with denizens of all shapes and sizes.

Din molded the earth with her great strength. Mountains rose from the earth and valleys dipped at their feet. For ages, the earth moaned and bellowed as it was shaped by divine fire. Once she had completed her task, she yielded to her sisters.

Nayru sought to give balance and order to Din's designs. A sun and moon were but a few of the gifts she bestowed upon the land. The earth had been scorched by her sister, Din, but with her love, she soothed the torrid earth with rivers and rain. A great basin formed from the water's flow and a clear blue sky stretched over the world. After laying the basic foundations of life, she gave way for her sister to build upon it.

Farore took the task of breathing life into the world. Throughout the land, she raised life from the very world her sisters had constructed. Birds fluttered in the skies and fish filled the waters. Trees and grass rose to create vast fields and deep forests of lush green and gold. As her winds rushed over the land, she created beings of conscience to honor her sisters.

Together, the goddesses had created a world that could grow and prosper. This world of light and purity became known as Hyrule. Before departing from their creation, they left a power source imbued with their virtues to preserve and sustain Hyrule in their absence. This power, assembled in three triangles of celestial light, came to be known as the Triforce.

To safeguard this power, the goddesses created the Sacred Realm and sealed within it the very essence of their powers. Only one who was pure of heart could break the seal and gain access to the Triforce. However, even if one with an unstained soul were to touch it, they would not be granted the power of the goddesses as a whole.

A being with an unbalanced heart and conscience would merely receive the power of the Goddess that best reflected who they were – a being with a heart filled with greed or lust for supremacy would be granted Din's power; Nayru's wisdom would be bestowed upon one who craved for knowledge and understanding of the world around them; and for the brave of heart, Farore's courage instilled within the bearer a fearless resolve under any form of duress.

After one has acquired a part of the Triforce, the other two parts would be automatically granted to those who were most befitting to receive them. If one of them wished to posses all three, it would be required of them to find and end the life of the other two bearers. Once said task had been completed, the full power of the Triforce – the very power of the Goddesses – would be given to the user. Any aspiration or desire that they sought to fulfill would become so, willingly or unwillingly. With the Triforce safely residing within the Sacred Realm, the goddesses departed from Hyrule, leaving its inhabitants to live their lives in peace and harmony.

For centuries, the people of this land prospered and all loved one another. They built their own kingdoms, erected towns and cities, mined ore from the depths of the mountains, created their own languages, cultures, and established themselves as the free people of Hyrule. But as the expansion of the kingdoms persisted, so did the desires of its inhabitants. People wanted more and more; and yet, there was no room to expand their domains. With that, something birthed within the hearts of many – something evil.

It was greed that surfaced within themselves. The powerful leaders wished for their nations and people to reign supreme. And as knowledge of the power of the goddesses – the power to grant any wish or desire to that who was within arms' reach – spread to all corners of the world, it was not long until the entirety of the land was consumed by war.

None were safe from the unrest. Allies turned on one another; fathers upon sons, mothers upon daughters, husbands upon wives, and even creation turned upon its creators. Blood flowed from the heart of the land, fueling the fires of malice, and the once golden fields of Hyrule burned black and wept tears of smoke. The crows and buzzards feasted endlessly on carrion, their bellies gorged with the product of man's arrogance and intolerance.

So began Hyrule's bloody history of hatred and greed.

Among those seeking supremacy, one group surpassed them all. Drawing their powers directly from the suffering around them, much of which they had created themselves, they mastered a form of evil sorcery. Using their dark craft, they fashioned their own vessel of power. Although, it was nowhere near equal to the Triforce, its capacity to control others was unmatched in its absence.

Wielding this power against the people of Hyrule, they sought to corrupt the minds of every last soul, bringing them under a spell of shadow. With this, they not only intended to control those who did or may have stood against them, they too sought to control the one who was pure of heart, so that they may enter the Sacred Realm and establish their dark dominion.

The Interlopers, they were called, as none other than they could manipulate the hearts and minds of others in such mass effect that, without even having the power they so coveted, they could exert control over both worlds. The demise of Hyrule and its purity seemed nigh but, the same impetus that drove the wicked ones to just nearly within arms' reach of the Triforce, the reach that they so desperately hungered for, became their undoing.

Among themselves, they began to ponder: who would be the one with the privilege to posses the utter qualities and capacities of divinity? A struggle ensued; resulting in schisms between the once powerful Interlopers. For as they quarreled amongst one another and took their separate ways, their power dwindled and their concentrated grip upon the respective realms was crippled by the fracturing of their malevolent hands.

The people of Hyrule came to their senses, the veil of imperious shadow lifted from their eyes. Banding together, they set their wrath upon the interlopers and drove them out of every last dark corner of the world. With the cleansing complete and the power of the Interlopers subdued, a great leader emerged from within the ranks of the free peoples. A fearsome warrior he was – a fact that he never failed to demonstrate on the field of battle but, even better did he serve as the mediator of grievances between the once warring factions. With sword in one hand and reason in the other, he unified the land under a banner of peace and security. The citizens hailed their new hero and befittingly dubbed him upon his throne, The King of Red Lions.

With the fires of war now extinguished, Hyrule returned to its peaceful ways. The fields regrew their lovely golden hue and the rivers' clear blue returned, washing out the blood red. Cities were rebuilt and infrastructure once again connected the various realms. As trade and commerce began to flourish, the King ordered that a fortified town be erected to serve as the seat of royal authority, an epicenter for trade, and the de facto capital of Hyrule.

For nine years, the kingdom enjoyed unhindered prosperity and with it, the people forgot the ways of war and destruction, and soon preferred those of betterment and understanding. But one day, a foul wind began to blow across the land. Wafting from the depths of the desert wastelands on the western edge of the world, it carried calamity on its breath.

Mounted upon a black stallion, it rode to usurp the King by destroying his realm with the power that the Interlopers had failed to acquire. Although he was the most impure of hearts and therefore, unable to access the Sacred Realm - He, unlike the Interlopers before him, would succeed in his mission. This dastard would come to be known to the people of Hyrule as none other than: Ganondorf Dragmire, The King of Thieves.

As a master of rare sorcery, patient and calculating he was, unlike others who had anxiously turned to war. Biding his time, he schemed in the shadows; even going so far as to bend his knee and swear fealty to the King before his throne as to not rouse suspicion. The King, benevolent as he was, honored Ganondorf's oath and granted him free passage throughout Hyrule.

Using his newly acquired privileges, Ganondorf began gathering as much knowledge as he could about the power that lay hidden. Much to his apprehension, he figured out that he – himself, could not gain access to the sacred realm. It was the hand of purity that he needed. As he delved deeper into learning about the Triforce, he came upon a legend that not many knew of but yielded a potential answer to his conundrum.

The legend, explained that Ganondorf's attempt to enter the Sacred Realm was no coincidence and that a hero, garbed in green, would reveal themselves to defeat him. That hero, he discovered, was the only one capable of opening the Sacred Realm. The legend went on to explain that the hero would appear once evil and turmoil had begun to spread throughout Hyrule.

With this information in mind, he plotted to stir trouble around Hyrule, as to draw out the one who was pure of heart. After he had identified them, he would attempt to use any means necessary to make them open the Sacred Realm. Even though he would only be granted the piece that reflected his personality – a personality bent on domination, it was better than having no piece at all.

Once in possession of the fractured power, he would try with all of his might to solidify his authority over Hyrule and flush out the other two holders so that he may kill them and finally be the sole keeper of the Triforce and the undisputed lord of the earth. However, little did he know that the hero had already detected him. Even before Ganondorf had kneeled in deceitful submission to the King, the hero of legend was already moving to thwart his malicious plans.

The hero in question hailed from eastern forests of Hyrule. Link, was his name. As a young boy of only nine years, he was unaware of his mortality and thus boundlessly courageous. However, such an age is also marked by immaturity, lack of understanding, and impulsiveness. This would prove to be vital to the success Ganondorf's plan.

The young hero, thinking that he needed the power of the goddesses to fulfill his quest, broke the seal on the sacred realm under the orders of King's daughter, who's gift of foresight was overshadowed by her lack of patience and wisdom. The seal, happened to be a divine blade set in a stone that only his hand could draw but, too young he was to wield the blade of evil's bane. As soon as he drew it from its pedestal, the darkness of sleep took him. For seven years he slumbered, safely hidden within a eternally pure facet of the Sacred Realm.

When he awoke, he found that he had the body of a man and was now ready to wield his blade against Ganondorf. When he set out to complete his mission, the world that he stepped into – a world that he had been absent from for seven years, was no longer the beautiful land that he remembered.

While he slept within the Sacred Realm, the Triforce had been split upon his entry. With this, Ganondorf had received the Triforce of Power. By mere chance, the same individual who, if he had stayed his hand, would have spared the land from unspeakable horrors, ended up being the one who set the commission of said horrors into motion.

Although, Ganondorf was unable to potentially complete the Triforce for seven years, his newly found power made him unstoppable. With a ferocity unknown to the people of Hyrule, the wicked man from the desert unleashed his wrath upon the world. His sorcery, amplified by the Triforce, allowed him to throw Hyrule into utter chaos.

The capital was razed to the ground and its population scattered to seek refuge from the slaughter at the hands of the countless dark minions that Ganondorf created. Hyrule's rivers froze over and the great basin dried up. Savage beasts stalked in the shadows of the forests. The mountains spewed fire and resentful spirits restlessly roamed the fields. Evils that were thought to be long dead were resurrected with a vengeance and allowed to ravage the land endlessly.

Even the mighty King of Red Lions was no match for Hyrule's new overlord. With the seat of power toppled and its armies either annihilated or routed, the Evil King began consolidating his power in anticipation for the appearance of the Hero of Legend and the other Triforce holder, as his intention was to draw them both to him and subsequently slay them so that he may lay claim to the power of the goddesses.s

With most urgency, Link moved against his nemesis. Armed with blade of evil's bane, he traveled far and wide, righting all wrongs and restoring order to Hyrule. From the deep forests, he drove out the fears that haunted its shadows. The fiery mountains calmed, their fury subsided. The vast lake and rivers that were once callously parched, were refreshed with crystal clear water. Within the houses of the dead, the lurkers in the dark were freed from their curse of sleeplessness and were finally able to rest in peace. Even the desert from which his ultimate enemy hailed from was blessed by the Hero's coming. In each of these places, holy sages were awakened – Sages that would be imperative to the defeat of Ganondorf.

Finally, with all the skills and implements necessary to subdue the Lord of Evil, the Hero marched single-handedly upon the dark tower of his foe. Storming the great citadel that Ganondorf had erected for himself atop the ashes of the of the long defeated kingdom, the Hero cleared obstacle after obstacle and vanquished enemy after enemy to reach the upper most chamber of the tower, where the King of Thieves awaited patiently for his arrival.

Upon entering the chamber to engage in the battle of battles, the Hero realized that Ganondorf had captured the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. The three pieces, gathered so close but incompletely, began to resonate in each others' presence, signaling their will to unite and restore themselves to their full capacity. Victory or death – these were the only options for the respective belligerents.

Surely, the outcome of this duel would decide Hyrule's fate. Sizing up one another, the final and long awaited battle commenced. Power and sorcery relentlessly clashed against courage and sword edge. The warriors proved their true abilities in fierce combat, each dealing damage that was ignored by both. In a contest of will power and skill, the Hero triumphed.

Felled - Gandorf was; by the legendary one and the blade forged to vanquish such evils. Seven long years of cruel dominance proved to be nothing in the end of all things. With the defeat of Ganondorf, the bearer of the Triforce of wisdom was freed. As it turned out, the person in question was the one who set this terrible chain of events in motion; the one who had instructed Link to open the Sacred Realm. This person was none other than Zelda, the now adult daughter of the fallen King and rightful heir to the throne that could now be restored. The Hero's quest was finally complete – or so he thought.

With his last breaths - which served as but a thread for his miserable life to cling too, Ganondorf mustered enough power to bring his tower down upon his enemies in a seemingly last attempt to gain victory. With each others' help, the wise princess and the courageous warrior made a frantic flight from the tower, narrowly evading certain destruction. As the dust settled, an eerie silence fell upon the smoldering remains of Ganondorf's seat of power.

The pair, relieved at the sight of their enemy's capitulation, began to ease into their perceived security but, the false sense of that belief was explosively shattered; for as the reveled in their success, an even greater threat emerged. From beneath the rubble, Ganondorf's maimed body erupted with a vengeance.

Armed with blind rage and the power that his life had clung to, Ganondorf unleashed his true potential. His body, subjected to strains that it had never experienced, became twisted and deformed. No longer was he just an evil man with unimaginable power; he was now the embodiment of such – a pure synthesis of his power, greed, and hatred for all things fair and free.

The Hero drew his blade and stared down this renewed and expanded threat. He stood, trembling - not from fear but from the towering beast that shook the ground beneath his feet. Many times his height, it was; hulking and heavy in its steps. It had the legs of a goat; the long tail of a serpent; the torso and arms of a morbidly muscular man; the head of an enraged boar and topped with a set of sharp horns.

Wielding two giant blades, it let out an emphatic roar and charged with blind rage against its enemy. Link stood fast, even though he doubted that he would survive but, as the beast raised its blade to strike, a large beam of blessed light struck it in its flank. Stopping dead in its tracks, it collapsed to the ground; shrieking and howling in pain. Link turned to see the source of the light and was astounded to find that it had come from the hand of the Princess.

Exhausting her power, she managed to successfully immobilize their foe. Link, seizing the opportunity to strike, rushed his opponent and with all of his strength and might, he drove the Blade of Evil's Bane deep, right between his enemy's eyes – eyes no longer filled with rage, but with the fear of a defenseless creature.

As the sword ran through it to the hilt, the beast let out a painful roar. Zelda, knowing her enemy was on the edge of defeat, used what power she had left to command the Sages to perform their duty. From within the Sacred Realm, the Sages cast Ganondorf into the void, locking him and his evil away and with their combined life forces – sacrificing themselves to end his reign of terror.

Link and Zelda reveled in silence at their pyhrric victory. The Princess, apologized to the champion of the goddesses, for it was by her order that he open the Sacred Realm, which caused this chain of horrible events but most of all, she apologized for depriving Link of his childhood. Bidding him a heavyhearted farewell, she used her powers to send him into an alternate past - a past in which he would again be a child and none of the ills that he had witnessed had yet come to pass.

As he ascended into the blinding light, he felt his body changing back to that of an adolescent boy. Once the light faded, he found himself where he had gone wrong – standing at the foot of the Pedestal of Time, the Master Sword having never been drawn from its intended place.

Without a second thought, he turned his back to the Blade of Evil's Bane and left for home but, not before he dealt with the evil that had brought him there in the first place. Armed with the knowledge of the potential future, the boy – no longer a hero, hastily informed the proper authorities about Ganondorf's treachery.

And as Ganondorf bent his knee in deceitful submission, The King of Red Lions had him seized and he was not seen nor heard from ever again.

The King, not wanting to frighten the people or open old wounds, kept the arrest a close secret. Link was granted no titles or honors but was granted the friendship and eternal debt of the Royal Family. With the world safe for the foreseeable future, the boy set out to regain his lost time. Without the burden of the world's fate on his shoulders, he could now enjoy life just like the people he fought so hard to save. So ended the story of the Hero of Time.

However, it was not long before Link began to have reservations about his new life and a deep depression began to cloud his mind. Everything in his life began to feel empty and leading a normal life seemed to drain his existence of purpose. The trauma from his battles began to take its toll on his young mind, making him paranoid and on edge. Finally, after his 13th birthday, he decided to depart from the land that had made him a **_legend_**.

Venturing deep into the darkness of the far eastern forests, he was not seen again in Hyrule for quite some time. Those that knew him, assumed that he had died but, one day he emerged from the shadow of the woods with his head held up high. With a newly found optimism, he seemed content with returning to a normal life. Putting his past behind him, he took a job as a ranch hand and resigned himself to a life of hard work and personal fulfillment.

Rarely did he speak of his past endeavors and for seven years, he lived a life of comfort and pure happiness but, unbeknownst to him, his past would soon catch up with him. Out of the deep murk of the woods that he had disappeared into, something had followed him – something that would change him and the rest of the world forever.

Where is our hero? Long has he spent his days in relative ease but as of now, he slumbers among the hay stacks; his mind being tossed like a ship upon the unforgiving waves of a nightmare.

In his vision, he was starring out of the eyes of an infant child. He looked around and realized that he was being cradled in a woman's arms. He gazed up at her face, a face much like his own. She smiled down on him, her blonde hair dancing in the breeze, cooing and giggling at him like any mother does with their newborn. She lifted him up to her shoulder and began to rock him up and down. With this, he noticed that they were on horseback. He looked about and saw the vast fields of Hyrule, with tall golden grass all around them. Not far behind them, a man sat atop another horse.

The man, who was mounted on a dark brown stallion, carried a sword and shield on his back, and wore a simple blue tunic with the Royal Family seal of a soaring red eagle with wings spread wide and the image of the Triforce just above it. He had close-cut blonde hair, deep blue eyes, a strong jaw, and sat high in the saddle.

Walking alongside the mans horse was a boy – at least, it was what appeared to be a boy. Whatever it was, it was bathed in darkness and resembled a walking shadow. It was talking to the man on the horse and although Link could not hear the conversation, he could see the man laughing heartily.

Suddenly, not far behind them, several dark figures silently rose from the tall grass. One of the figures pointed in their direction and the rest began carefully maneuvering forward, drawing swords and bows as they made their approach. Link tried to warn those in his party but, all that let out from his mouth were the wails of an infant.

He watched as some of the figures began to nock their bows and he wailed even louder, trying to warn the woman who clutched him in her arms. She lowered him down to her breast and undid her blouse, thinking that her child needed to be suckled. He cried, starring at her bare breast from below, and as she attempted to feed him, he saw the head and shaft of an arrow rip out of her chest so close that he could feel the cold edge of arrowhead and and felt the woman's hot blood streaming onto his face.

She screamed in agony and fell forward upon her horse. Her hands grew weak and her child slipped from her fingers. As Link fell, he could see her blood soaking the mane and coat of her white horse - a cacophony of noise surrounding him.

Just before hitting the ground below him, Link sprang from his nightmare into the dead of night, his body drenched in cold sweat. The cool night air drafted about him, chilling him to the bone. Folding his arms and rubbing them, he shivered and took deep breaths to calm himself.

Once steady, he laid back into the thresh, pondering his dream. Confused, he was, as his affliction of nightmares had been gone since he was a child. "What could it mean?" he thought. Such nightmares only came to him as premonitions of events to come but, this vision seemed to concern his past – a past that he apparently had no knowledge of; one that may have finally caught up with him.

Now nearly twenty years of age, he was in no mood to be disturbed at this point in his life. He dismissed the nightmare as a coincidence. Although, he could not help but wonder who were those people? Why was he accompanying them? Could that woman have been his mother?

During his childhood, Link was raised in the far eastern wood known as the Kokiri Forest, which was home to the Kokiri. The Kokiri, were a human like race of immortal children that never aged in it that, their bodies remained those of children but their minds aged and matured just like mortal men. Making their homes within the forest that was the origin of all life in Hyrule, they tended to the trees and kept to themselves – the troubles of the outside world being typically unknown or of no concern to them and their kin.

The Kokiri, were protected and provided for by Great Deku Tree, the sentient guardian of the forest and all that dwell within it. Before Link began his quest to become the Hero of Time, the Great Deku Tree explained to him the circumstances of his existence. He was not Kokiri, but a Hylian and that he had been brought to him by his mother, who had suffered a mortal wound. Before passing, she entrusted Great Deku Tree to protect and raise her infant son. No mention of his father.

Deciding to let go of the matter, Link closed his eyes and laid back down into the thresh, hoping his mind would come to ease. The sun would be up soon and the day's work would not favor the drowsy.


	2. Dawn of a New Day

**Dawn of a New Day**

A rooster crowed as the dawn gave birth to the new day, the sun slowly creeping over the horizon. The plains of Hyrule basked in the glorious light as children made playful flight throughout its rolling hills. The people of all the land rose from their slumber and the castle gates opened to welcome the traders and returning night patrols. The farms and ranches stirred with joy as the livestock celebrated another day of frolicking and amity. On one of these ranches, our hero still sleeps in the hay stacks, a voice calling to wake him from his dreams...

"Link... Link... Link!"

Reality materialized in the boys eyes in the shape of woman's curves and saphire eyes staring down on him.

"Rise and shine!" Malon shouted warmly, pulling Link up from his slumber by his still languid arms.

Malon, was the nineteen year old daughter of the ranch's proprietor, Talon. She stood about 5'3 with a slender frame. Her face was gentle with rosy cheeks with silky red hair that flowed down to her waist. As a Hylian, she had long pointed ears and softly tanned skin from working on the ranch - her hands rough from a life of toil and horse riding.

She wore a short sleeved white blouse with a light purple long skirt and a pair of fine brown leather riding boots along with a matching belt with a pewter buckle embossed with the image of the Triforce. Dyed images of charging blue horses lined the hems on the sleeves her blouse as well as the hem of her skirt. A yellow kerchief draped over her shoulders and was secured around her neck with a golden broach pin shaped like the head of a wild boar. She was careful with her appearance but not afraid to get dirty. The simplicity of her dress enabling her to work unhindered yet flattering enough to maintain her femininity and satisfy the gaze by taunting curiosity.

After a good yawn and a long stretch, Link brushed himself off and straightened out his brown wool trousers. Standing barefoot and bare chested, Link was average height for a male. He had pale skin like any other Hylian and a body chiseled by a life of swinging swords, long treks in the wilderness, and working with his hands. Scars and other signs of battle marked almost every part of his body - their shapes and locations as varied as the assailants that inflicted them.

His head was a wavy mess of straw blonde hair that he usually kept and short tucked up in a hat. His face was square and rounded a strong jaw down to a slightly pointed chin but, his most capturing feature was his deep blue eyes - eyes like a wolf with a gaze of cold steel.

"You gotta get dressed! Dad needs you to haul a shipment into town." Malon said with a giggle.

"Give me minute. I'm still half a sleep here." Link said with a drowsy groan.

Link stepped out of the thresh and rubbed his eyes thoroughly before taking in the sight of a brand new day. The sky was clear, the sun was bright, and a gentle breeze whisped in the air. The sound of hooves drummed on the earth as the horses danced in the morning light. Lon Lon Ranch - it was called, and it was the finest in all the land. Family owned and established nearly a century before, it served all corners of the realm and provided the people of Hyrule with the finest livestock and dairy products - horses and milk being their specialties. They were rarely low in any supply and never charged unfair prices for any reason.

The ranch itself was situated in the middle of Hyrule field - not far from any potential clients. It sat on a thirty foot high plateau that stretched wide, overlooking the western fields and the desert canyons to the northwest. This natural barrier provided security from rustlers and predators while still providing enough room and sunshine to keep the animals happy and fed. A twelve foot high wall ran along the perimeter of the plateau and broke only at the sole entrance to the ranch which lay on the eastern side of the hill. Through the main gate on the left, you would find a large barn with white walls and red roof which housed the chickens. Connected to it, was a house that looked more or less the same and served as the living quarters of the ranch. Link however, still prefered to sleep under the stars.

To the right of the hen house, was another red roofed building. This building served as the stables for about twenty fine thoroughbred horses. Past the two buildings, sat a large open area for animals to graze and frolick in the sun with a generously sized corral for the horses in the middle. A well worn dirt path - mostly used for horse racing, ran around the entirety of the corral and large stacks of hay dotted the ranch.

In the north western corner of the ranch's wall, a large tower stood. Before it became a ranch, this plateau served as the location of a fort used by an ancient military order. They erected a high tower to watch over area but as of now it seems that their watch had long ended. The tower, which had a large base house, served as storage for supplies, tools, along with an area for slaughtering and processing live stock.

Within the corral, a large dray horse approached the edge of fence and reared in spectacular fasion. The horse in question was none other than Link's faithful steed, Epona. She was large with a coat of light bay and a silky white mane that gracefully drapped her neck with white hooves and a long flowing tail to match. She was rather large - the largest of all the horses on the ranch, as she was originally bred as a workhorse. However, when Link was young she took a liking to him and never let anyone but him mount her fine back. She accompanied Link on his journeys outside of Hyrule and continued to faithfully serve him throughout his life.

Seeing her, Link smiled and brushed past without a word.

"You know, you could at least say 'Good morning' to me." Malon grumbled as Link continued without a thought towards the corral.

Link leaned on the fence of the corral, admiring the horse's beauty with a beaming smile. Epona, delighted by the sight of her master, rushed to the edge of the corral to greet him.

"Hey there, old girl." Link said, crouching down and stroking her mane gently.

Epona neighed and shook her head with joy as a smile crept across Link's face. He laughed softly to himself as Epona affectionately licked his hand. The moment was shattered by a shadow that crept over Link. He lingered for a moment, as he identified the looming shade by its familiar curves.

Link stood up with a crack of his back, and swiftly turned about on his heels. As expected, Malon stood before him with a scowl hanging upon her face and clutched in her hand, a tangled up halter and bridle.

"There's a load waiting for you out front." She snapped, shoving the twisted mess into Link's chest, and promptly walking away in a gruff.

Link's smile sustained the animosity from which he was presented his task, as the prospect of making a delivery allotted him a ride with his trusty equestrian companion. With a spring in his step, Link made for the corral gate as did Epona, who followed suit. With a release of the latch and a creak of the gate, Epona trotted out, nudging her master.

"Settle down." Link calmly muttered, as he haltered Epona and slung the bridle over his shoulder.

"There we go. Now, lets get you a drink." He said, gently patting her side.

Link tugged lightly on the halter and proceeded to lead Epona to a watering trough near a clothesline. Once there, Epona began to drink heartily as Link splashed some water on his face before grabbing his clothes off the line and getting dressed.

Link typically dressed in the traditional way of the Kokiri, the children of the forest that raised him like their own. The garb consisted of a simple tightly fitting shirt of white cloth with long sleeves that tied at the collar. After tucking the the shirt into his brown trousers, he would don a short sleeved tunic of emerald green with a brown leather belt and stuffed his hair into a pointed cloth stocking cap of the same color that drapped back like a hood. He shod himself with a fine pair of brown leather riding boots that came up to the knee with his trousers tucked in neatly and slipped his hands into a pair of fingerles leather vembrace gauntlets. Finally, he checked the leather pouches on his belt and drew a blade from a sheath that ran across the back.

The blade itself, was a long knife known as the Kokiri Sword. It was Link's first weapon and it consisted of a broad hand forged steel blade of 18 inches and hilt of 6 inches and was meant to be used as a sword by a child or someone of small stature but, served well as a knife for someone the size of an adult. Originally, it had a simple one piece hilt and gaurd of hard oak but, Link had it replaced with a guard and hilt of solid metal gripped with leather and a diamond shaped pommel of dark blued steel. Link ran his thumb across the edge and inspected for rolls and chips in the steel before sliding it back into the sheath which was made of blue lacquered leather and adorned with a golden locket and chape.

After straightening out his clothes one last time, he started towards the ranch entrance, whistling Epona's favorite song. Epona quirked at the sound of the hymn and gleefully neighed as she followed Link. Once reaching entrance, they happened upon Talon and Ingo, who were stacking boxes into the back of a large wagon.

Talon was the proprietor of the ranch and the father of Malon. His wife died birthing their only child and he never remarried. He was a short and portly man, about the same height as his daughter but, still quite muscular from being raised on the ranch. He was pale of skin, quite hairy with grayed black hair and a head that gleamed bald except for the back of his head and below his temples which lead to a mutton chop moustache. He had deep brown eyes with a chubby face and big round nose. He wore a pair of blue overalls and a short sleeved red shirt and a pair of heavy brown leather galloshes. Around his neck, he wore a shoestring ti with a gold medallion of wild boar that was almost identical to Malon's.

He had a troublesome habit of taking naps whenever he got the chance and if depressed, he could go into a such a deep sleep that it was almost impossible to wake him. Even with his issues, there was not a single soul in all of Hyrule that could match him when it came to breeding livestock - so much so that King himself ordered that all those in his service that required a mount to be provided with Talon's fine horses.

Ingo, on the other hand, was very tall and slender man. He stood about six and a half feet tall with long lanky arms. He kept his thinning hair combed over and had a pair of bushy eyebrows and a scruffy handlebar moustache. He wore a pair of patched up white overalls and a green short sleeved shirt. A hard and loyal worker, he was resentful at times of his employer's habit of slacking off. Although one would not think it, he was quite the rider and had a passion for horse racing. He and Link would often make bets on who could round a horse along the track the fastest or how well they could jump fences.

"Mornin, boy!" Talon said with a grunt as he loaded the last box into the bed.

Link returned the greeting with a simple nod.

"Silent as the grave, as always." Talon added with chuckle.

"They're not as quiet as you think." said Link, who's teeth crept out with a devilish smile.

"Now, now.." said Talon, a tone of worry in his voice and a shine of fright in his eyes.

"Don't be scarring me with those stories again. I'm a man who likes his sleep and to taint my naps with nightmares is just a silly thing to do."

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt if you slept a little less!" said Ingo with a cackle.

"Can it, or you'll be shovelin' turds til' dusk."

"Hey, at least that's an honest living, unlike countin' sheep all day."

Talon stood flustered with a furl of the brow as Link and Ingo snickered to themselves.

Once the levity had subsided, the trio promplty returned to the the task at hand. Link, strapped Epona into her rigging and checked that the lines were properly ran and without tangles. Ingo quickly inspected and wagon wheels and checked each of their lynchpins. Talon made sure that the cargo was properly secured and draped a large cloth over the wagon bed to keep the sun off.

"Shes good to go!" Ingo shouted as he stood up and began wiping his greased hands with a hankerchief.

"What am I hauling today?" said Link, as he climbed up into the wagon seat and settled in, letting the reins dangle in his hands.

"Butter, eggs, milk, cheese, and fresh beef. The finest of the finest and all for the Royal Family. Have this shipment at the castle within an hour so it doesn't spoil and since you've put Malon in a mood, it'd be wise to picker' up somethin' pretty. You know she doesn't get out much." said Talon as he grilled Link with a facetious smile.

Link rolled his eyes at the request but agreed to oblige with a reluctant nod.

"Get along now, boy!" Talon said, banging his fist twice on the side of the wagon.

With a firm grasp, Link pressed hard and released the hand brake. The wagon lurched forward with a creak and with a flick of the reins Epona started her trot and the pair were off.

The day was still young and the sun was still creeping into the sky as Epona and Link rode from the gate of the ranch - the wheels of the wagon treading softly atop the dew soaked grass. Sitting high in his seat and looking about, he slowly took in the natural beauty of his homeland, and recalled all of his great adventures to every far corner of the world.

From its central plains, Hyrule was surrounded by a landscape that was as varried as the flora and fauna that dwelt within it. To the North, the great mountain range of Snowpeak scraped the sky with its sleet capped summits - dwarfing the high walls of Castle Town that lay at its feet.

The town - now on the verge of becoming a small city, was the de facto capitol of Hyrule. Established at the end of the Hyrulean Civil War, it became both an epicenter of trade and the seat of power for the Hylian Royal family, who reigned over all other realms in Hyrule, and served as the custodians of the Temple of Time.

Just northeast of the capitol, through a canyon mountain pass, a village lay tucked away in a small valley. Kakriko - it was called, and it was established by a nearly extinct race known as The Sheikah or 'Shadow Folk'. The race itself, was said to have been created by the godessess to be the caretakers of Hyrule and serve as the custodians of the Shadow Temple but, nearly the entire race was devastated during the war. Now, the village was almost completely populated by Hylians and its cemetary housed the tomb of the Hylian Royal family. Kakariko boasted the finest weapon makers and smithies in the land - a tradition passed down from the original founders of Kakariko. They owed their success to their prime location.

Kakariko sat at the southern base of an active volcano known as Death Mountain, which towered over all of Hyrule, even the belittling the mighty sierras of Snowpeak. So high did it stretch, that a giant cloud of steam formed a ring around its billowing mouth. A narrow mountain trail lead from the village to a pair of deep caverns. The first - lower on the trail, was a trecherous place known as Dodongo's Cavern but, higher up the trail was another large cavern that was known as Goron City.

This subterranian abode was the home of the Gorons - a race of burly and humanoid creatures with incredible strength, tolerance to heat, and stone like flesh - as if they were born of the earth itself. The Gorons only respected strength and power which gave them the befitting distinction of being the custodians of the Fire Temple, which resided within the volcanic crater of Death Mountain - a place that only Gorons could pass through due to their resilient physical qualities. From within mountain, the Gorons used their strength and skill at moving earth to extract the finest ores, gems, and and other mineral compounds from the dark and fiery depths, providing all of Hyrule with these vital and precious resources.

To the east of the ranch, The Kokiri Forest stood in all of its arboreal glory. This deep and enchanted forest was home to Link for the first nine years of his life and where he was raised amongst the Kokiri. The Kokiri, were a race of immortal children who's bodies never aged but, their minds and knowledge were ever growing and maturing. Keeping to themselves throughout the ages and almost never venturing from the forest, those with even the most basic knowledge of the Kokiri's existence were few and far between.

In the far and dark corners of the forest, a place known as the Lost Woods stradled the edge of creation. It had earned its name from the woods' endless twists and turns which made sound navigation nearly impossible. So abundant and immense was its growth that it allowed no light passed through, save for the dim shine through the canopy that gave the woods a mellow gloom.

If one knew their way around, the Lost Woods proved to be a wonderous and intriguing place, teaming with the strangest and most reclusive creatures in Hyrule. Among its secrets, a small clearing known as the Sacred Forest Meadow was hidden amongst this remote labrynth and in that grove was the entrance to the Forest Temple which had for long been abandoned to the ever encroaching woods.

Between the Kokiri forest and the Death Mountain Range, a large river of crystal clear water flowed down from the eastern heights. At the head of this river, in a system of water logged caverns, resided what was known as Zora's Domain. The Zora's were a humanoid like race of people who resembled fish. They grew tall and streamlined, with blue scaled skin, gills, finned arms, and webbed feet.

As the most aquatically apt creatures in Hyrule, the Zora were tasked with overseeing Hyrule's waterways which ran from Zora's Domain, down Zora's River along the northern border of Kokiri Forest, snaking out into Hyrule Field towards the northwest, serving as a natural moat for Castle Town before turning west and flowing into a desert canyon, down a great waterfall before cutting far south through the canyon into a great basin known as Lake Hylia. Being the largest body of water in Hyrule, the Zora's took it upon thsemselves to maintain its aquatic life and serve as the custodians of the Water Temple, which lay hidden at the bottom of the lake beneath the basin itself.

Finally, in the northwestern corner of the world, a dry and dusty place known as the Gerudo Valley lay nestled in a desert canyon. The valley itself had been completely fortified by an entirely female race of warriors known as the Gerudo. Hostile, but minimally loyal to the Royal Family as a result of their rivalry during the war, the Gerudo made their living through thievery and raiding which alotted them a life of fighting and sedition.

From their fortress, one could pass through the only clear route into the Gerudo desert. The desert itself, was bisected by an area known as the Haunted Wasteland. Easily the most unhospitable place in Hyrule, the wasteland yielded nothing more than strange hauntings, perpetual sandstorms, and dunes that could swallow whole caravans that were foolish enough to veer off a path of checkpoints that the Gerudo erected to facilitate the only feesable way of negotiating one's way through the desert waste.

On the other side of the desert, in a calm and shady oasis, a magnificent rock formation jutted out of the sand that was known as the Desert Colossus. Here is where the Gerudo made regular pligrimages to offer sacrifices at the Spirit Temple. Carved stright into the rock face, the temple was the most sacred of places to the Gerudo, so much so that they never permitted anyone other than Gerudo to enter the temple or send prayers and other offerings to its altar. Owing to its exceptionally remote and nearly inaccessible location, the Gerudo used the Spirit Temple as an unthouchable commander center which saved them from complete annhilation during the war.

Taking one last look around, Link placed the reins on a hold and kicked his feet up along side the wagon. He leaned back along the seat with his hands laced behind his head and breathed a long sigh as the wind met his skin and gently whisked at his hair. His eyes scanned the great blue above for clouds and panned down to grass below.

Link pulled his cap down over his eyes and began to nod off as the wagon gently rocked along and all of his thoughts began to fade away. Epona knew the way to the castle, so taking a short nap was of no concern but, no matter how relaxed he was, the dream from the previous night still lurked in the back of his mind. As he bathed himself in the warmth of the sun, he pondered the matter for sometime, unsure of how to interpret the possible omen. Deciding not to trouble himself during the course of his duties, he let go of his conflicting thoughts, and slowly came to ease as he scattered all worries to the winds of his conscience.


End file.
